Akaiwa, a city of beautiful encounters with nature, people, and local products

Akaiwa is a city where sensible living has endured in harmony with nature. Carefully preserved heritage is deeply embedded in people’s daily lives, such as Japanese sake from a 300-year old brewery and long thriving fruit production. The city’s star-studded sky and floating sea of clouds in the early morning will become memories of a lifetime.

Onomichi is a quaint town located along the Seto Inland Sea in eastern Hiroshima Prefecture. Onomichi was certified as as Japanese Heritage on 2017. The town extends from the mainland across some of the neighboring islands.Small ferries operate between the downtown area and the nearby islands, adding to Onomichi's nostalgic port town atmosphere.

Kagawa Prefecture is known as the gateway to Shikoku. Its capital is Takamatsu City, home to a wide range of interesting sightseeing spots.
With famous local dishes such as Sanuki udon and Kagawa-style chicken drumstick, and a wide range of lovingly-made traditional handcrafts that make excellent souvenirs, the city is well worth visiting.

Free gourmet booklet with a map, "Night-time Food & Drinks Guide" available at hotels around Okayama Station. Check out here (website) for more details about the cafes, bars and restaurants around Okayama Station recommended by local editors published Night-time Food & Drinks Guide.

The exquisite beauty of the blooming cherry blossoms, and also their transient beauty as the petals fall, has been revered in the literature and aesthetic concepts of Japan since ancient times. Spring in Japan is the perfect time to immerse yourself in its hanami (flower viewing) culture, when friends and family gather under the cherry blossom trees and appreciate the beauty of the flowers while drinking and eating merrily.

What would a trip be without a special meal or treat along the way? Enjoy a luxurious time that satisfies your stomach and even your heart with cuisine created and meticulously finished by a master chef, using local, high-quality ingredients.

Japan's one and only enclosed sea, the Seto Inland Sea. It contains over 700 islands, each with a culture and cuisine blessed by mountains and sea. It's so beautiful that some call it "the Aegean Sea of the East."

Registered Japan Heritage towns like Kurashiki and Onomichi, born out of the unique geography of the Seto Inland Sea, are places that feel nostalgic and allow visitors to get a sense of daily life there.

As an island nation, unique cultural forms have developed in Japan. Traditional Japanese homes, where you can experience the earth and wood beloved of old Japan, are on trend worldwide. Enjoy these somehow comforting and soothing spaces.

There is nothing better than sampling the local seasonal flavors and specialties of a region. There are so many kinds of local cuisine Western Japan. Be sure to taste the foods beloved by locals when you take a trip

Western Japan has mesmerizing sights you have never glimpsed before,from the islands in the vast waters of the Seto Inland Sea to the ancient castles rising into the sky and rivers that will make you sense eternity.

Kagawa is a byword for udon noodles, and the delicacy that is Sanuki udon is famous not just in Japan but throughout the world. Enjoy the local flavor of Kagawa that has been the favorite of common people here.

There are many places for art in west Japan, where outstanding natural beauty and traditional aesthetic are protected. In particular, Okayama, Hiroshima, and Kagawa are attracting attention as great destinations that drive artistic culture in west Japan.

The Seto Inland Sea boasts scenic cycling routes that showcase its maritime and mountain views, including the Shimanami Kaido that skips from island to island and the Kibi Route that leads around historic sites.

The culture of therapeutic bathing and mind by relaxing in a hot bath amid beautiful ever-changing scenery is a fixture of Japanese culture. The Setouchi region boasts scenic outdoor baths set above sprawling islands.

With its warm climate, West Japan has many fruit-producing regions, including Okayama, "the fruit kingdom," famous as the top producer of white peaches and Muscat grapes. You can savor sumptuous sweet treats using lavish portions of seasonal fruit such as parfaits and shaved ice.

Okayama, the Land of Sunshine, abounds with the blessings of lush mountains and a bountiful sea, the beauty of nature and the crossroads of prominent Japanese historic heritage. Always a key transport hub in the Setouchi region, in recent years it has also become the gateway to the art of the Seto Inland Sea.

Hiroshima, the International City of Peace, is known throughout the world for its two World Heritage sites and for being the setting of superb literary works. This is a compulsory stop for connoisseurs from around Japan looking for unique food culture, not least of which are okonomiyaki, said to be Japan's national dish, and oysters.

Shimane Prefecture is redolent of tradition, boasting a large number of nationally-recognized historical and cultural treasures such as the Izumo Taisha Grand Shrine and Matsue Castle. Its large number of hot springs means it attracts a large number of people seeking healing in body and soul. It is also popular among visitors who can enjoy the fresh seafood from its Japan Sea coast and traditional foods such as soba noodle and Japanese sweets.

In the northern part of the prefecture facing the Sea of Japan, there is a beautiful stretch of coastline of the Tottori Sand Dunes and white sand and pine trees while the south is a majestic mountain range including Mt. Daisen, the tallest peak of the Chugoku region. Tottori is therefore an area of natural beauty changing by the season, where delicacies from the sea and the mountains await.

Kagawa is the smallest prefecture in Japan. It is famous in Japan and abroad for being home to Sanuki udon, one of the “big three” udon noodle varieties, to the point that Kagawa is also known as “Udon Prefecture.” Kagawa is also gaining ground as a leader of Japan’s art culture by serving as the stage for the Setouchi Trienniale, a renowned contemporary arts festival.

Kochi Prefecture is a premier destination for natural beauty, with its dynamic, warm Kuroshio current-bathed coastline, crystal-clear rivers such as the Niyodogawa famous for its “miracle blue” waters, and ample scenic hotspots. It is also popular as a foodie destination, a variety of seafood including skipjack tuna and its delicious sake rice wine.

Many people flock to Ehime prefecture to soothe their mind and body with the healing waters of Japan's oldest hot springs resort Dogo Onsen, and the breathtaking Tashimabi scenery of numerous islands scattered throughout the Seto Inland Sea, as seen from the Shimanami Kaido bridge route connecting six of the larger islands. In addition to these and other attractions, Ehime is also blessed with a warm climate and locally grown citrus fruits, as well as an abundance of seafood sourced from the three coastal waters that surround it.

Tokushima prefecture magnificently captures the beautiful nature and traditional culture of Japan in its many attractions including the Kazura Bashi Vine Bridge, one of the country's three uniquely structured bridges, and the Iya Valley region with its preserved nostalgic rural scenery. A trip to Tokushima will surely be unforgettable as you marvel at the Naruto whirlpool, one of Japan's top three tidal streams, and experience the excitement of the country's hallmark Tokushima Awa Odori Dance Festival.